There is a respiratory virus, Enterovirus D68 that is moving quickly across the United States affecting young child. It is highly contagious and starts out like a common cold, but lasts much longer. It has affected over 1, 000 children so far and is growing. Children that suffer from Asthma are particularly vulnerable.

SYMPTOMS

Parents and caregivers should monitor their child closely, looking for any difficulty in breathing or speaking , shortness of breath or wheezing. If you are concerned seek immediate attention. The normal cold and flu symptoms like runny nose, coughs, sneezing and fever are present with this virus also.

TREATMENT

Hospitals and doctors are treating this virus with medication that they’ve been using for asthma. In the story I was following all of the children are better and recovering . I was very concerned because some cases were so bad that they had to be admitted to ICU. Some children lost consciousness due to difficulty with breathing.

PREVENTION

This is the time of the year where we should be advising our children and following this procedure ourselves of washing our hands more frequently. Instruct your children to cough or sneeze in their elbow to prevent spreading germs.

Even in my dance classes if someone has a runny nose I instruct them to blow and wipe their nose and then immediately wash their hands before returning back to class. I make sure they put soap on their hands and scrub thoroughly. Drying your hands are also very important, wet hands spread germs also.

Make sure you and your children are getting plenty of rest, eating more fruits and vegetables and drinking a lot more water and fluids. Citrus fruits have a lot of vitamin C and actually all fruits and vegetables are very helpful.

Stay healthy and alert to any warning signs, so you can respond quickly. Take care of yourself and your loved ones. Wishing you a healthy and happy Fall season. Eat plenty of apples since this is a great time for them. Please feel free to share this on social media, your own site and with your family and friends.